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How to Stop Google Play Store From Opening When You Are on Other Apps?

September 19, 2021

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Has Google Play Store been a pain in the ‘phone’ in recent times? If Google Play Store keeps opening up on your android device while you are using some other app, it can be intensely pestering.

Before you all but start blaming Google Play Store for the incessant popping up while you are using other applications, make sure it is really Google Play Store’s fault that’s causing the issue.

In the specifics of this article, we shall look into multiple solutions to stop Google Play Store from opening when you are on other apps.

Pause! Before all that, let us try understanding why the error occurs in the first place.

Why does Google Play keep opening while you’re on other apps?

Most of the time, it is not a glitch or error on Google Play Store’s end that is causing it to open up without your specific instructions. The problem could be rooted in three possible causes:

An error in the third-party application
A malware infecting your phone
Issues on the end of Google Play Store

Applications running a lot of ads

If you notice that you are redirected to Google Play Store when you are on one ‘mischievous’ third party application, then chances are it is the application that is the problem. Why so? Countless applications downloaded from Google Play Store run ads to earn money (they do what they got to do).

Some applications top the general quota of ads, and if you are using an application that has advertisements (that redirect to Google Play Store) crammed up almost everywhere on the screen, you already know who/what the culprit is.

These applications embed ads in almost every empty space, and when you click on these ads knowingly or unknowingly (mostly unknowingly), you are redirected to Google Play Store.

This redirection prompts you to download the certain application that the ad was for (the ad you clicked on).

Application infected by some malware

If you have recently downloaded an application from some untrusted developer or source, either on Google Play Store (before the timespan that Google recognises and bans the app) or from the Internet, there are moderate chances that the app could be infected with malware causing the error.

If Google Play Store keeps opening mostly after the installation of a certain application, it is high time you run a malware check, especially if the application looks ‘kinda sus’.

A problem on Google Play Store’s end

Although it is highly unlikely that the problem lies in the Google Play Store, we can not completely obliterate the possibility, more so if you have already ruled out the other two aforementioned reasons.

If it is a problem on Google Play Store’s end, it will easily be recognisable since you will not be the only one facing it. If it is recurring on other phones and devices, you can let Google Play Store take the fall for the unnecessary trouble it’s causing you.

How to fix (stop) Google Play Store from opening when you are on other apps?

Below we have discussed 7 possible solutions that can help you stop Google Play Store from opening when you are on other apps:

1.Uninstall the application redirecting you to Play Store

Remember installing the application with dodgy ad scripts written all over it, waiting for you to hit the ‘click’? Yes, uninstall it.

If the problem, as mentioned before, occurs only on select third-party applications, and they apparently have way too many ads on them, it is high time you uninstall the application.

If you do not wish to uninstall the application that is redirecting you to the Play Store using click baits, try to identify these click baits. As long as you can identify and skip clicking on these redirects that open the Play Store, you will be fine.

What about Google Chrome or some other search engine?

It is possible that you are being redirected to Google Play Store when you are using a search engine. Now, this is mostly not the search engine’s fault, but the site you are accessing through the search engine.

Oftentimes, if you are accessing a site that is spammy, it will redirect you to Google Play Store with a garbage app that usually has some awful FTP. Somehow the site is able to redirect your device to open a link to an application in Google Play Store without you selecting it directly.

On a usual note, you shall be able to recognise these spammy sites (most of them have a long loading time), and thus, avoiding accessing them altogether can help fix the problem.

2.Run a malware check

Of course, it is not easy to find malware on your device, more so because most of these are designed to cause a nuisance with a silent trail.

If you have recently installed an application, package, or anything that was not vetted by a reliable source, it could be affected with malware. It could be the malware causing the Play Store to open when you are on other apps.

At best, running a malware check and removing the malware should do the job. You can do this using both a ‘trusted’ third-party application or an in-built application used to protect against malware and other security threats.

A few reliable third-party antivirus applications for android devices are:

Avast Mobile Security Ultimate
Kaspersky Mobile Antivirus
McAfee Mobile Security
Malwarebytes Security
Norton Mobile Security & Antivirus
Anti-Hacking: PSafe DFNDR Pro Security
QR Scanner: Sophos Intercept X for Mobile
Parental Controls: Trend Micro Mobile Security & Antivirus

3.Force stop Play Store

Go to your android device and open ‘Settings’.
Tap on ‘Apps and Notifications’. Next, tap on the Google Play Store icon. If you do not see it upfront, tap ‘See all’/ ‘App info’.
Once you have tapped on ‘Google Play Store’ from ‘Apps and Notifications’, tap on ‘Force Stop’.

Open up different applications to check if Google Play Store is opening up after being forcibly stopped.

4.Clear app data and cache from Google Play Store

This is actually a two-step method, wherein we shall first attempt to clear cache, and if it does not work, clear your app data from Google Play Store. Make sure your Google Play Store is up-to-date first.

Clear Cache:

On your android device, navigate to ‘Settings’, then go to ‘Apps’ from the A application Manager. If you are using Oreo OS, navigate: Apps icon > Settings > Apps & Notifications > App info.
Now, find Google Play Store and tap on it.
Tap Storage once under the Google Play Store app settings.
Tap Clear Cache.

Browse your device for a while to check if Google Play Store opens while using another app. If it does, move to the next step:

Clear Data:

Note that this will clear your data, including your sign-in information, so when you reopen Google Play Store, you will have to feed in your data again.

On your android device, navigate to ‘Settings’, then go to ‘Apps’ from the A application Manager. If you are using Oreo OS, navigate: Apps icon > Settings > Apps & Notifications > App info.
Now, find Google Play Store and tap on it.
Tap Storage once under the Google Play Store app settings.
Now, once you have cleared the cache, you will find an option that says ‘Clear Data’ right below it. Tap on it. Tap ‘OK’ if prompted to be sure if you wish to clear data from Google Play Store.

5.Try signing out and into the Play Store.

This will remove your Google Account from your device and then re-add it.

Tip: When you remove your account, some information will be removed from your device. Information linked to your Google Account that is backed up in the cloud will still be available. Much of the information will return to your device when you add your account. Make sure any important information is backed up before completing this step.

Signing out of Play Store:

Go to ‘settings’ and then navigate to ‘Tap Accounts’.
Tap the account you want to remove, then tap on ‘Remove Account’.
You may be prompted to enter your device’s pattern/PIN/password if your device has a security lock to remove the account.

Next, re-add the account:

Go to ‘Settings’> Accounts>Add Account>Google.
Now, follow the instructions on the screen to sign back into your Google account.
Open the Google Play Store app, and tap on the profile picture.
Look for the name and email address of the account from the Play Store app and once you see you are signed in, check to see if the issue is resolved.

6.Uninstall and re-install Play Store updates

If the issue seems to be escalated only after you recently installed an update for Google Play Store, try deleting the update and re-installing it. Oftentimes, when the installation of the update goes wrong, deleting and re-installing the update fixes the issue.

Before you start re-installing the update, make sure you are connected to a reliable WiFi connection.
Now, go to your android device and open ‘Settings’.
Tap on ‘Apps and Notifications’. Next, tap on the Google Play Store icon. If you do not see it upfront, tap ‘See all’/ ‘App info’.
Once you have tapped on ‘Google Play Store’ from ‘Apps and Notifications’, tap on ‘More’ (from the three-button bar) and then ‘Uninstall updates’.
If prompted to change the Play Store back to the factory version, tap ‘OK’.
Open Google Play Store once the update has been uninstalled, and try downloading the update again.